City of Minneapolis sent this bulletin at 03/16/2024 10:00 AM CDT
Council Member Linea Palmisano
March 16, 2024
Dear Neighbor,
At the previous City Council meeting on March 7, the Council voted (9-4) and passed a proposal to increase pay for rideshare drivers. At the rate of pay proposed by my colleagues, Uber and Lyft have explicitly stated that they will cease operations in Minneapolis. I voted against this proposal. These rates are not something we currently regulate in our city, and the nature of this industry is independent contractor work. This proposal will also almost certainly disrupt the 300,000+ daily rides in the Metro area for those who need and rely on them, some of which are for people who live without a car and seniors & individuals with disabilities. I’ve made these concerns clear on many occasions–both in private conversations with my colleagues and during the Council Meeting.
The following day, Mayor Frey issued a veto and called a special meeting of the City Council to consider the veto. At that meeting, I voted to sustain the Mayor’s veto alongside Council Members Vetaw and Rainville. Despite the data from the statewide study and the fact that nobody gets a raise if rideshare companies leave Minneapolis, ten of my colleagues voted to override the Mayor’s veto; this ordinance will take effect on May 1, 2024.
This kind of decision making is risky and disruptive. I am very disappointed that my colleagues chose to override the veto, some of them voting in direct contradiction to the very data they claimed they needed to make this decision. I remain in conversation with our partners at the Minnesota Legislature in hopes that this ordinance will be preempted by a statewide policy that meets the needs of both drivers and riders.
I was excited to join MPD Chief Brian O'Hara, Assistant Chief Katie Blackwell, Chief Operating Officer Margaret Anderson-Kelliher, and 911 Director Joni Hodne last week to launch the new "Imagine Yourself" campaign, a comprehensive campaign to recruit MPD Officers and 911 Dispatchers and fill critical safety needs in our city.
These positions provide more than the opportunity to make a difference in our community. They also provide the opportunity for advancement, the development of a skillset that isn’t available at any other police department in the state, and a soon-to-come increase in pay.
As a former EMT, I have long been a champion of first responder health and wellness. I have supported this in a variety of ways, including recruitment & retention bonuses, first responder wellness initiatives, and now, this campaign. Adequate staffing ensures sworn officers and 911 dispatchers have a sustainable workload and the ability to do their best work for our community. I am looking forward to seeing the positive impacts of this campaign.
A community safety center pilot is expected to open late this summer on East Lake Street. Commissioner of Community Safety Toddrick Barnette and Office of Community Safety Director of Design and Implementation Amanda Harrington recently presented an update to the City Council on the project. The center will allow neighborhood residents to have space in the neighborhood where they can access a select number of services and resources until the South Minneapolis Community Safety Center opens in 2025.
The Office of Community Safety will be meeting with partners across the enterprise and the community to determine what services and resources could be located at the East Lake Street location. Feedback from the community will also play a large role in this determination.
A potential site for the center has been identified. The City is currently following its procurement process to lease space.
The City of Minneapolis partners with Solar United Neighbors (SUN) to help community members go solar through a solar co-op.
About solar co-ops A solar co-op is neighbors coming together to get the best price from a vetted solar installer by using their group buying power and to tap into the co-op’s expertise.
Homeowners with low incomes who qualify for energy assistance, Medical Assistance, WIC or EBT also qualify for substantial financial incentives that can cover most of the cost of going solar.
Everyone can take advantage of the Solar Investment Tax Credit which allows you to claim 30% of the cost of going solar as a credit against federal income tax owed.
SUN will also help solar co-op members apply for Minneapolis Green Cost Share funds to cover part of the cost.
The City Council has passed a resolution honoring Women’s History Month. The resolution commemorates the achievements of women and pledges to continue efforts to promote gender equity, celebrate diversity, and support the empowerment of all women in our community.
This year's theme for International Women's Day, “Inspire Inclusion,” echoes the need for calls for a collective effort to forge a more inclusive world for women, emphasizing the importance of understanding, valuing and promoting women's inclusion in all aspects of society.
The resolution also:
Recognizes that all women are leaders, regardless of their formal roles or leadership positions.
Acknowledges that the women’s movement has historically left out Black women, Indigenous women, transgender women and women of color and chooses to recognize and address the specific challenges faced by marginalized groups of women in the quest for true equity and inclusion.
The City is now recruiting members for boards and commissions. We’re looking for applicants with a diversity of backgrounds and experiences representing the demographics of Minneapolis to strengthen the work of the City. City boards and commissions offer a direct way for residents to advise City leadership about topics important to them. Translation and interpreting are available so all residents can participate.
Applications will be accepted through March 31.
City boards and commissions with openings include:
If you haven’t already, you can still enter the lottery by March 31 for the chance to buy a $30 tree for your Minneapolis property. The City will offer 1,000 low-cost shade and evergreen trees to help grow the city’s tree canopy. The trees range from 3 feet to 8 feet tall.
The City is especially focused on adding trees in the Green Zones as those areas have some of the lowest tree cover in the city. We encourage anyone who owns property in the Green Zones to enter the lottery.
If you’re selected
If you’re selected in the lottery, you can buy one or two trees per address. You’ll get an email in April with information on how to order.
Tree pickup will be May 18 and 19 (subject to change). You’ll get an email with the pickup location.
One of the best parts of my job is getting to meet with my constituents, learn more about you and hear your questions, concerns, hopes and dreams for our shared community.
If you'd like to schedule a time to meet with me, send me an e-mailand my staff will help get it scheduled. Please let me know what you'd like to talk about and a convenient place to meet—a coffee shop, a park, your home, my office, etc. I try to reserve Fridays for constituent meetings, but can work them in other times, as necessary, too.
We've moved while work is being done in City Hall. Our office is in:
Room 100, Public Service Center 250 South 4th St. Get directions
For reasonable accommodations or alternative format please contact 311. People who are deaf or hard of hearing can use a relay service to call 311 at 612-673-3000. TTY users call 612-263-6850. Para asistencia, llame al 311. Rau kev pab 311. Hadii aad Caawimaad u baahantahay 311.
